Claims that Manchester City have been “found out” after a draw and a defeat in the space of four days have been exaggerated – but there will be concern among Guardiola’s technical staff that a blueprint of how to make life difficult for them is emerging.

Celtic started it and Tottenham embellished it. Press City out of their stride and they find it more difficult to create the build-up play Guardiola is so obsessive about.

Of course, it isn’t a simple thing to do and City created many of their own problems at White Hart Lane - but opponents now know the kind of approach they have to take if they want to get the better of City.

And it wasn’t just a case of intense pressing that unsettled City so much. Jamie Carragher, speaking in his role as a Sky Sports pundit, highlighted Spurs’ man-to-man marking at goal kicks that stopped them passing the ball from the back as comfortably as they would like.

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When Claudio Bravo was in possession, the Tottenham players stuck tight to their City counterparts and forced the ‘keeper to go long, something Guardiola has tried to outlaw since arriving at the Etihad in July.

“They virtually go man-to-man from goal kicks, and say ‘you’re not passing it’,” explained Carragher on Sky Sports “’I’m going to stop my man playing’ and that’s forced Man City to go long. They’ve played a lot more long balls than they normally do today because of the pressure - and when they have gone short Spurs have taken it off them.”

Guardiola has some thinking to do during the international break

Opta statistics back up Carragher’s claims. Prior to the game against Spurs, an average of 10.5 per cent of City’s passes had been hit long. That increased to 12.2 per cent on Sunday.

And their accuracy suffered. They completed just 78.6 per cent of their passes, their lowest of the season and way down on their season average, which prior to the game stood at 84.3 per cent.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side stopped City playing and showed quality when they had the ball. City struggled to cope.

Guardiola, who will travel to London this week to be at a book launch before spending some time with his father, needs to find some answers before the game with Everton.